The Occupy 99% and Tea Party movements were founded on the perception that the citizens of the United States are being systematically fleeced of their wealth by our country’s major institutions. Over time, these institutions are becoming more efficient and effective in extracting money and reducing personal wealth, impoverishing an ever larger percentage of the citizenry using unethical, fraudulent or corrupt behavior. In recent years, government at all levels has […]
Politics
99% Spring Movement Comes to Modesto
Saturday, April 28, a plucky band of Valley citizens participated in the “Love Modesto” event by protesting the injustice which enabled big bank executives to haul down millions of dollars in bonuses while their policies punished working people throughout the nation. The demonstrators assembled along the curb in front of the McHenry Avenue Bank of America, eliciting sporadic honks of support from a constant stream of passing cars. A local […]
Tragic Death of Sheriff's Deputy Robert Paris Reopens Discussion of Public Safety Budget, by Bruce Frohman
During his tenure as a Modesto City Councilman, Bruce Frohman was a strong supporter of law enforcement. Recent tragic deaths and shootings have focused attention on ongoing cuts to law enforcement services. Here, Frohman continues the dialog about the need for additional officers and staff. The entire community of Stanislaus County was shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic shooting of Sheriff Deputy Robert Paris in the line of duty. […]
Valley Leaders and Media AWOL on MID Water Sale
The more you look at the proposed Modesto Irrigation District (MID) water sale to San Francisco, the more apparent it becomes that MID manager Allen Short and his allies on the Board of Directors are engaging in a dangerous game of sleight of hand. The fundamental premise of the sale—that MID has water to sell—is so patently false as to make one wonder why the MID has dared voice it. […]
Political Calculus of the MID Water Sale
If there’s anything each of the members of the Modesto Irrigation District Board of Directors (MID) knows for sure, it’s that voters hate rate increases. This fact was painfully evident May 13, 2010, when an angry crowd packed the MID boardroom to protest a five dollar a month rate increase in their electrical bills. And if an angry crowd isn’t enough to discourage rate increases, the Directors also know that […]
Excess MID water? "No Way," Say Experts
To hear the Modesto Irrigation District tell it, selling 2,000,000 gallons per day of Tuolumne River Water will have no significant impacts on the river. Stanislaus County Supervisor and Westside farmer Jim DeMartini finds such a claim hard to believe. “I just had my water allotment reduced by fifty percent,” said DeMartini recently. “I get my water from the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) and TID gets its water from the […]
From Franklin to Flint, the Library Unites America
Readers of the late John Michael Flint’s Modesto Bee Community Columns were continually impressed with the breadth and depth of his knowledge. Few could have guessed he was mostly self-taught. Flint claimed that when the movie, “Animal House,” was released it was so like his one and only year at college that he researched the script’s origins, convinced it was based on his own experience. Though his short acquaintance with […]
Did Garrad Marsh Show Jose Hernandez the Way?
Jeff Denham supporters couldn’t’ suppress their glee when Chad Condit announced his candidacy for the 19th Congressional District a few days ago. Prior to Condit’s announcement, Denham faced a challenge from former astronaut Jose Hernandez, a candidate who offered a clear and unequivocal alternative to the ultra-conservative Denham. Now, Condit has muddied the waters. “It’s very bad news for the (Democrat’s) anointed candidate,” crowed Denham campaign consultant Dave Gilliard. “Jeff […]
Fred Herman on Jose Hernandez in Modesto: Next Stop Congress?
Still elated after Garrad Marsh’s decisive victory in the Modesto Mayor’s race, Fred Herman is looking forward to another big win for Valley citizens. Remember Richard Pombo? People thought he couldn’t lose, but he did. Now, once invulnerable Jeff Denham faces serious competition from a former astronaut with deep Valley roots—Jose Hernandez (pictured left). Here’s Fred on Hernandez’s recent visit to Modesto. To cynics who suggest that all politicians are motivated only […]
Voters Say Yes to Vision and Integrity: Marsh is Mayor
Tuesday, February 7, Modesto voters repudiated the fictitious claims of Brad Hawn and his supporters by electing Garrad Marsh Mayor of Modesto. Marsh rolled to victory both on the strength of his platform—grow up, not out—and his own honor and integrity. When his opponents tried to label him a cynical and hypocritical developer, Modesto voters wouldn’t have it. Marsh’s long but low-profile dedication to smart growth, his quiet record of […]